HELCOM published report on alternative fuels for shipping in Baltic Sea region
HELCOM says it has recently published its "Alternative fuels for shipping in the Baltic Sea region" report, as part of the EnviSuM project that looks into clean shipping solutions from both a technical and socio-economic viewpoint.
The objective of the report is to provide an overview of the recent developments on alternative fuels in the Baltic Sea, with the focus on liquefied natural gas (LNG). The particular attention on LNG also allows to highlight long-term trends on the adoption of cleaner shipping practices by Baltic Sea countries.
With new IMO regulations on sulphur exhaust emissions in place, ship owners have to implement new technology to meet the current requirements, such as scrubber system to "wash" the sulphur from the exhaust gas, shift to low-sulphur marine gas oil (MGO), or switch to alternative types of fuels altogether.
Since 2015, all the ships navigating the North European Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA) – comprised of Baltic Sea, North Sea and English Channel – are obliged to comply with the limit of maximum sulphur content of 0.1% in ship fuels. This is five years ahead of the global entry into force of the sulphur regulation in 2020.
The report on alternative fuels has been prepared as part of the EnviSuM project (Environmental Impact of Low Emission Shipping: Measurements and Modelling Strategies). EnviSuM project addresses both present and future cost of cleaner shipping, as well as the health and environmental effects of ship emissions.
In EnviSuM, HELCOM's role is to provide a policy linkage to the project, to promote the project outcomes, and to facilitate the involvement of the competent authorities from the Baltic Sea region.
